Bigchunk Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 So I'm hanging out at my friends, ask him if he wants to go ice fishing tomorrow. Tells me he's going to a lake I fish when ice is out. It's a Great Lake. Good numbers great size, he's going with my other buddy.. They are the type of ppl they can't throw back a big fish, or any fish I feel like. Whyyyyyyy do people have to suck Quote
Bigchunk Posted February 28, 2015 Author Posted February 28, 2015 Lake is not very big, forgot to mention. And private Quote
Super User Sam Posted February 28, 2015 Super User Posted February 28, 2015 People are people. if you can figure them out you will be rich. All you can do is all you can do and all you can do is enough! 1 Quote
Super User Jig Man Posted February 28, 2015 Super User Posted February 28, 2015 That may not be a bad thing. I looked into stocking some of my ponds. A state fisheries biologist told me that to keep them balanced I would need to harvest 21 bass per acre per year and never put a perch back. 3 Quote
bucky Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 I know a few fisherman that fish Ky and Barkley lakes and they throw nothing back that is in the legal limits. They eat bass, smallmouth, and anything that they catch. I have often wondered how many people do this and why they harvest the smallmouth. The guys I know don't need the fish for food for themselves, in fact often give them away. I don't think of this as a real problem but wish they were a little more selective about the fish they harvest. I have seen these guys clean 5 lb basson more than one occasion. Quote
Super User *Hootie Posted February 28, 2015 Super User Posted February 28, 2015 I never keep a fish. Wouldn't want to spend time cleaning them. Hootie 1 Quote
Super User scaleface Posted February 28, 2015 Super User Posted February 28, 2015 Game hogs. The game hogs discovered my best catfish spot and ruined it days . Quote
Jaderose Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 I never keep a fish. Wouldn't want to spend time cleaning them. Hootie Pretty much this. I don't like killing things either. I'm not a PETA guy nor do I have any problem with hunting or fishing for food LEGALLY. Just ain't my thing...if it's yours. cool. 1 Quote
Hyrule Bass Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 harvesting a few fish isnt going to hurt your fishery, especially in these large lakes, as long as its legal no one should have a problem with the people who keep fish in my opinion. even harvesting fish in smaller ponds isnt a bad thing to do from time to time. you may not prefer to keep any fish yourself and you dont have to like it, but you shouldnt criticize the people who do so either, it is within their rights to do so. sometimes harvesting of fish can improve a fishery and i dont get why some people just cant seem to understand that. and im talking about people fishing legally, im not going into a bunch of caveats about people fishing illegally, because then you'd have every right to complain about said people doing the illegal fishing... 2 Quote
Fisher-O-men Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Most keepers have it backwards. They keep the big ones and throw back the little ones. over 12" and under 16" would be about right. Leave the babies and the big fighters and spawners! 3 Quote
Penguino Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 I agree with Fisher-O-Men and Red Earth. You should be able to keep fish, but please don't keep the bigger fish. That lessens the chance of catching a trophy catch in the future, and also causes the sunfish population to start exploding. 1 Quote
ABW Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Tell them to come to my lake where the bass are stunted Quote
Super User gulfcaptain Posted February 28, 2015 Super User Posted February 28, 2015 Have a fishery by my house I would love to harvest.....but the size needed to remove isn't legal. But they are stunted. But the herons like them so they can go to good use. Have to remove a few to keep the whole healthy. 1 Quote
Bigchunk Posted March 3, 2015 Author Posted March 3, 2015 Yea im not against keeping fish, especially perch amd crappie, ill keep some myself if im in the mood. Its just when people catch a big old 5+ and keep it to let it get freezer burnt or give it away. I guess i wasnt to specific, and i agree with removal of ovee populated imbred stunted bass, too many lakes around my area are like that. Quote
Super User Angry John Posted March 3, 2015 Super User Posted March 3, 2015 CT had a lot of good bass lakes with slot limits. I feel like its a good plan but have no data or proof to back that up. The 12-17 I think were the numbers. Quote
Super User Dwight Hottle Posted March 3, 2015 Super User Posted March 3, 2015 Tell them to come to my lake where the bass are stunted. If all the fish in your lake are stunted you & others need to take all bass under 15" out until a balance is achieved. Quote
Chad L Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Keep them were legal and the lake can support it, that's why they have slot limits and overall limits. Most lakes I fish up here it is more for fun, but when people want to keep to eat I don't look down on them. Quote
RSM789 Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 The last bass I kept was 30 years ago. The last bass I kept was about 12 months ago & she has grown about 6" and looks like she has doubled her weight since then. No, I don't have a radioactive freezer or Jesus as a neighbor, she is living large in my koi pond. A diet of night crawlers, feeder goldfish and any critters my kids find has kept her fat & happy. She is aptly named Blutarsky and is now as big as our biggest koi. We think she may have even eaten a turtle, but can't confirm it... 1 Quote
ABW Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 . If all the fish in your lake are stunted you & others need to take all bass under 15" out until a balance is achieved. Its a city lake were you aren't allowed to take anything under 14", unfortunately Quote
Super User Solution Lund Explorer Posted March 3, 2015 Super User Solution Posted March 3, 2015 So I'm hanging out at my friends, ask him if he wants to go ice fishing tomorrow. Tells me he's going to a lake I fish when ice is out. It's a Great Lake. Good numbers great size, he's going with my other buddy.. They are the type of ppl they can't throw back a big fish, or any fish I feel like. Whyyyyyyy do people have to suck Lake is not very big, forgot to mention. And private Yea im not against keeping fish, especially perch amd crappie, ill keep some myself if im in the mood. Its just when people catch a big old 5+ and keep it to let it get freezer burnt or give it away. I guess i wasnt to specific, and i agree with removal of ovee populated imbred stunted bass, too many lakes around my area are like that. From what you have described, this is a private lake that you don't own yourself. Sadly this means that the choice of who fishes this lake, or what gets taken out of it is out of your control. My advice to give you peace of mind would be to either try to purchase this lake so you can make up the rules, or to accept the fact that you can't control the actions of others. Every minute that you are upset over this, is one less minute that you have to enjoy your life. Learning to understand your own limitations is the key. To quote Mr. Spock, to do otherwise is not logical. 2 Quote
ColdSVT Posted March 3, 2015 Posted March 3, 2015 Ive never kept a largie or a smallie...now striper on the otherhand is a different story lol 1 Quote
Super User everythingthatswims Posted March 3, 2015 Super User Posted March 3, 2015 Tell them about a "better" spot Quote
Super User Catt Posted March 4, 2015 Super User Posted March 4, 2015 What ticks me off is people who think there is something wrong with keeping bass to eat! I keep a few bass every year & I bet I do more for my lakes that most of y'all who complain. I goto every Wildlife & Fisheries meeting, help Biologist with their research, anything I can to improve my lake. Rant over 3 Quote
Brnnoser6983 Posted March 4, 2015 Posted March 4, 2015 I have only kept one fish, and it was my biggest bass yet. I get a lot of flak for doing it, but if I count the number that I catch a year and throw back when I look over to the boat loaded with people next to me is keeping everything they catch... I feel like I am doing my part. I also opted this year to get our states critical habitat licenses plate. A portion of what I paid to get it (I think a little over $100) goes to DNR. I also get a walleye stamp even though I don't eat or catch walleye. (The process go to help stocking walleye, and is not required in the state to fish for walleye) I know here in MN the just opened the slot limit on northerns on one of our biggest walleye lakes to help cut down predators for walleye. So in some since depending on what they are keeping out might be helping... maybe (not that I am defending over fishing) Quote
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